Halichondria (Halichondria) lutea Alcolado, 1984

Ugalde, Diana, Gómez, Patricia & Simões, Nuno, 2015, Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of México, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953), Zootaxa 3911 (2), pp. 151-183 : 164-165

Halichondria (Halichondria) lutea Alcolado, 1984

( Fig. 10 A–D)

Selected synonymy: Halichondria lutea Alcolado, 1984:10 ; Díaz et al. 1993:294. Halichondria (Halichondria) lutea sensu van Soest et al. 2014.

Material examined. CNPGG –573 Sisal Banks reefs (21º26’24”N 90º28’25.39”W), depth 15 m, 02/XII/2001.

Description. Thickly encrusting 1.7 square cm, 3–12 mm in thickness, bearing a single fistule ( Fig. 10 A), of 8–10 mm in height, 2–3 mm in diameter. No oscules present. The sponge surface is microhispid, and its consistency firmly and slightly compressible but fragile. Color alive was not recorded, but it is light beige in alcohol

Skeleton. The ectosome is a composition of spicules tangentially placed in one plane ( Fig. 10 B), mainly strewn in confusion. In the choanosomal skeleton many more spicules are present disarrayed all over the body, intermingled with some ill-defined tracts.

Spicules. Mainly fusiform and hastate strongyles, but oxeas and styles are present, probably in two size categories, 330–1007 × 3.4–23 µm. The spicules are bent, some have stepped ends ( Fig.10 C, D).

Distribution and ecology. Cuba ( Alcolado 1984); Venezuela ( Díaz et al. 1993); Sisal banks reefs, and Veracruz (CNPGG records). The previously known depth distribution range in reef environments was 24 to 50 m. The present specimen was found at 15 m depth, which represent the shallowest record for this species. This is the first record for the southern Gulf of Mexico.

Remarks. The present material assigned to Halichondria lutea differs from the subspherical shape of the original description but agrees with that described by Diaz et al. (1993). All other features are the same of the original description.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Halichondria lutea Alcolado, 1984: A. Specimens preserved in alcohol, fistula seen upwards from the encrusting part. B. Skeleton in cross section, ill-defined tracts are visible. C and D. Oxeas in LM.